Development and psychometric evaluation of the menopausal self-care questionnaire in a sample of Iranian postmenopausal women

Background: Self-care assessment is a prerequisite to self-care promotion interventions. However, there is no specific measurement instrument for self-care assessment among postmenopausal women. Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop the menopausal self-care questionnaire and evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of Iranian postmenopausal women. Methods: This methodological study was conducted in 2017 based on Waltz's method for instrument development. Questionnaire items were generated based on a literature review, and then, face, content, and construct validity of the questionnaire were assessed. For construct validity assessment, a sample of 357 women aged 45-60 years were selected through cluster and stratified sampling from health-care centers in Kashan, Iran. Then, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the factor structure of the questionnaire. Moreover, reliability was assessed through calculating Cronbach's alpha and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The primary version of the questionnaire contained 36 items. Two items were deleted due to their limited content validity. The impact scores, content validity ratios, and content validity indices of the remaining 34 items were at least 2.84, 0.70, and 0.70, respectively. During factor analysis for construct validity assessment, one item was deleted and the questionnaire was found to have a seven-factor structure, accounting for 54.87% of the total variance. The factors were general health care, screening, nutrition, memory, hot flashes and night sweats, sexuality, and social communication. The ICC and Cronbach's alpha value for the questionnaire were 0.76 (P < 0.001) and 0.88, respectively. Conclusion: The menopausal self-care questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for self-care assessment among postmenopausal women. It can be used in health monitoring programs for middle-aged and elderly women.